Magazine safety razor



Oct, 3, I944. J. MUROS MAGAZINE SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 26, 1943 Patented Oct. 3, 1944 MAGAZINE SAFETY RAZOR Joseph Muros, Cambridge, Mass, asslgnor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Application February 26, 1943, Serial No. 477,239

9 Claims.

zines and in another aspect it comprises a novel.

combination of safety razor and magazine in which the two are arranged to be so related that the razor receives blades delivered directly into inclined shaving position by endwise movement.

In still another aspect my invention comprises improvements upon the safety razor and magazine combination disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,270,543, January 20, 1942. In the razor of that patent a blade-clamping device and guard are provided which are movable at a substantial angle to the inclined plane of the blade to hold the blade in shaving position. In the improved razor herein shown the blade-clamping and guarding devices are movable in a direction substantially parallel to the blade, that is to say, in a downwardly and forwardly inclined direction. In this way I provide a more compact and more direct-acting razor mechanism and by it I permit the'employment of a magazine having a key or releasing device which is substantially parallel to the blade seat in the razor instead of necessitating a twisted relationship.

More important than that however is that in my improved construction the blade-clamping device may be moved away from the sharp edge of the used blade sufiiciently to release pressure thereon so that the blade may be shifted endwise in being ejected while at the same time the blade is not released for angular movement. In those constructions where the clamping device is retracted in a path at an angle to the blade the clamping device not only releases the edge of the blade but also releases its surface, permitting the blade to lift from its seat or to be displaced by gravity if the razor is tipped and thus it sometimes happens that the oncoming blade rides under the used blade and becomes jammed in-' stead of pushing it ahead.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof and selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of the razor head shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is a View of the head in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view showing the individual component parts of the razor head in perspective;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the razor head as seen from the opposite side shown in Fig. 1 and at the scale of actual size; and

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the blade magazine.

The invention is herein shown in its application to a safety razor of the stropping type although it is by no means limited to that or to any specific type of safety razor.

The illustrated razor includes in its structure a handle In from the upper end of which projects a square tubular shank II. This is provided at its upper end with out-turned transverse ears I2 bounded at their inner ends by short square corner posts as shown in Fig. 3. The front and rear walls of the shank H are cut out and the front wall is inwardly flanged to form the bottom of a forwardly and downwardly inclined guideway. The top of this guideway is formed by a channelshaped piece having an inclined bottom plate l4 shaped to fit in the cut-out portion of the tubular shank l I. In the bottom plate M of the guideway is provided an elongated slot I5. The bottom plate It lies between vertical side walls of the channel piece and these merge at their upper edges into transverse ears I3. When thechannel piece is assembled in the shank l l its ears I3 overlie the ears l2 of the shank and fit between the square corner posts. Both pairs of ears are perforated to receive clamping screws 34 which are eventually passed upwardly through them.

Next in order of the stationary parts comes the head frame which comprises the flat bottom plate I6 and the upright side members I1 and I8. The uprights I1 and I8 are roughly triangular in shape tapering downwardly and forwardly. Between the uprights are located transverse shafts upon each of which is mounted a hollow shaft or sleeve. The rearmost hollow shaft 19 acts as a spacer between the uprights and serves to stiffen them in their position in the head. The intermediate shaft carries a hollow roll 20 which serves as a lower guide for the strop. The upper shaft 2| carries a hollow sleeve 25 which is extended at one side into the blade-clamping plate 22 which constitutes the upper side of the blade holder. The other wall of the sleeve is slotted at each end and extended to form a resilient bar or strap 23 which cooperates with the blade-clamping plate 22 to hold a blade in place. In each end of the strap 23 is journaled a small roll 24. These rolls are arranged to lit 56 into corresponding notches in the end edges of the blade and so to retain the blade in the holder positively against transverse movement and yieldingly against endwise movement, that is to say, the rolls 24 engage the notches of the blade and positively prevent the blade from moving forwardly or rearwardly in the holder, while the ends of the strap 23 will spring and allow the rolls to yield when the blade is moved forcibly in an endwise direction.

Thematerial of the uprights I! and l 8 is formed into a curved guard 26 which extends concentrically with the sleeve and overlaps the ends of the blade holder except that it is provided with a narrow gap in alignment with the blade when the blade holder is in its inclined shaving position. Accordingly, the used blade can be removed and a new blade can b pushed endwise into the holder only when the holder occupies its shaving position. If it i raised above that position the blade in the holder is positively locked against endwise displacement in either direction by the guards 26.

Next in order of assembly comes a sheet metal member or element in which is formed the guard and the blade seat. This is rectangular in its general contour and comprise a flat rear section 30 provided centrally with a short upturned flange 3|. In the assembled razor head the rear edge of the flange extends into proximity to the rear hollow shaft [9. In front'of its fiat section the guard is inclined upwardly and then forwardly and downwardly forming the blade seat 32. Extending forwardly and downwardly from the blade seat is the guard 33 defined by a slotted section for the sake of lightness and corrugated for engagement with the face of the user. \An intermediate flange 34 is struck out from the body of the guard piece and arranged to form the rear or inner edge of an inclined guide as will presently appear. Both the plate 16 and the flat section 30 are perforated in line with th ears l2 and I3 to receive the screws 34 and the perforation in the section ar threaded.

The movable element of the razor, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a finger-operated slide carrying a top guard and clamp for the blade. It includes an inclined slide portion 35 arranged to move freely in the inclined guideway provided below the bottom plate M of the channel piece and between the vertical side walls of the shank ll. At its rear end the slide portion merges into a downturned finger-piece 36. The slide is provided with a perforation 37 in which is received the upper end of a torsion spring 29 which is partially wound about a transverse pin 28 set in the walls of the tubular shank II and tends always to move the slide 35 rearwardly to its initial position as shown in Fig. 2. At its lower and forward end the slide merges into a short upright section 38 which normally fills the opening in the front wall of the tubular shank H. The upright section 38 merges into a transverse bar 39 having an intermediate inturned hook flange 40 and with upwardly extending arms 4! at both ends. These arms curve inwardly and rearwardly and are connected by a transverse clamping bar 42 shaped to serve a the upper guard member of the blade and as a clamp for the blade. The upright arms 4| are shaped to engage the extreme corners of the blade and to press it rearwardly in its holder and in this respect serve as the blade stops commonly employed in this type of razor. The transverse bar 42 is so located that it will pas freely over the sharp edge of the blade and abut against the forward edge of the upper blade-clamping plate 22 and thus positively lock the blade and its holder against lifting movement. Each of the upright arms 4| carries an inwardly directed guide arm 43 which is arranged to contact with the ends of the stationary guard 33 when the slide is advanced and thus preserve the alignment of the parts and prevent twisting.

The razor and magazine herein shown are organized to handle a fiat single-edged blade 30 herein shown as of the well-known Valet type. This blade has in each end near its back edge a curved blade-locating notch. It is provided in its body portion with perforations shaped in accordance with the letters of the word Valet.

The magazine comprises a fiat rectangular enclosure as shown in Fig. 5 having a blade exit slot 50' at the upper edge of one end wall and a flat tapering key projecting outwardly from the lower edge of the same end. A pilot spur 52 projects outwardly from the other side of the same end wall. The magazine is slotted and a feed slide 53 is mounted thereon which has a projection extending into the enclosure of the magazine in position to engage and eject the uppermost blade in a stack of blades retained therein. The magazine herein disclosed is similar to that disclosed in my Patent No, 2,270,543 except that the plane of the key 5| is substantially parallel to the walls of the magazine instead of bein twisted at an angle thereto. The parallel arrangement is to be preferred in that it is economical of blade space in the magazine and provides a simpler and more compact construction.

The upright l8 of the razor head is provided with a square aperture 54 to receive the pilotspur 52 of the magazine and is notched at 55 to provide an entrance passage for the key 5|. The bottom of this passage is formed by the transverse bar 39 of the movable slide member and the body of th key is designed to react between the inner curve of the hooked flange 40 of the slide member and the stationary edge of the flange 34 to displace the slide forwardly, freeing the corners of the blade from the engagement of the upwardly extending arms 4| and releasing the pressure against the top surface of the blade but still holding the blade against angular movement about the axis of the sleeve 25. In this position of the slide, therefore, the used blade in the razor is free to be ejected endwise and replaced by the fresh blade advanced from the blade exit of the magazine. When the magazine and the key 5| are retracted the spring 29 immediately returns the slide member to its clamping position. If the user does not wish to employ the magazine the slide member maybe advanced by pressure on the finger-piece 36 and if it is desired to strop the blade the finger-piec 36 may be moved to the limit of its stroke in which case the blade will be completely disengaged from the transverse clamping bar 42 so that it is free to rock freely upon the axis of its sleeve 25 in response to the movement of the strop.

When the magazine is presented to the razor head the key 5! is inserted through the aperture 55 of the upright l8, as suggested in Fig. 4 into the guideway provided by the bar 39 of the blade clamp, its hooked flange 40 and the stationary front edge of the flange 34, as best shown in Fig. 2. As the key is forced inwardly the blade clamp is retracted forwardly against the action of the spring 29 and finally the magazine is positively and accurately located in the proper angular position by the interlocking connection of the spur or dowel 52 with the aperture 54. In this operation the used blade is released on the blade seat and the feed slide 53 may now be advanced with assurance that a new blade will be delivered to and the used blade ejected from the blade seat.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described a preferred embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A safety razor comprising a head supported by a tubular shank, the head having a downwardly and forwardly inclined blade seat and a lower guard for a blade thereon, the shank having a correspondingly inclined guideway contained completely therein, a slide mounted in the guideway for movement in an inclined path [parallel to the blade-seat, a guard movable above the blade seat carried by the slide, and a spring for retracting the slide.

2 A safety razor comprising a head supported by a tubular shank, the head having a fixed blade seat and a lower guard for a blade thereon, the shank having openings in its front and rear walls so located as to provide a guideway contained completely in the shank, and a guardcarrying slide movable in the guideway in a path substantially parallel to said blade seat.

3. A safety razor comprising a head supported by a tubular shank, the head having a fixed blade seat and lower guard, the shank having a guideway completely contained therein, a slide movable therein in a path substantially parallel to the fixed blade seat, arms on the slide, a blade-clamping bar carried by the said arms, and guide members carried by the arms and arranged to slide in guiding engagement with the ends of the said lower guard throughout the movement of the slide.

4. A safety razor having a head including a blade holder, sheet metal member secured in the head and shaped to present a blade seat and an intermediate flange with a straight guid ing edge, and spring-actuated blade clamp mounted to slide in the head and having an intermediate hooked flange constituting with said intermediate flange a guideway for receiving and holding down a key to retract the said blade clamp.

5. A safety razor including in its structure a shank having outturned ears and an inclined guideway between them, a head frame having spaced uprights overlying the ears of the shank, a blade holder pivotally mounted between said uprights, a blade seat member overlying said head frame, fastening means extending through said ears, head frame and blade seat member, and a blade clamp slidably mounted in said inclined guideway.

6. A safety razor comprising a head, a blade holder pivotally mounted therein, a member providing a forwardly and downwardly inclined blade seat, a blade clamp shaped to engage a blade resting in inclined position on the blade seat and having a portion mounted in the razor below the "blade seat to slide in an inclined path substantially parallel to the plane of a blade on said blade seat, whereby the edge of a blade may be released while the blade is .still held against angular displacement by the said clamp.

7. A safety razor comprising a head, a blade holder pivotally mounted therein, a member providing a forwardly and downwardly inclined lade seat, a blade clamp shaped to engage a blade resting in inclined position on the blade seat and having a portion mounted in the razor below the blade seat to slide in an inclined path substantially parallel to the plane of a blade on said blade seat, in combination with a rectangular magazine having a key for retracting the blade clamp and holding the magazine at an inclination corresponding to that of the blade seat.

8. A safety razor having a head with spaced apertures therein, and including in its structure a fixed blade seat and a spring-operated bladeclamping device, in combination with a magazine having a projecting key at one end shaped to enter one of said apertures for engaging and retracting said blade-clamping device and a spur spaced away from said key at the same end of the magazine and shaped to enter the other of said apertures to hold the magazine against twisting while in blade-delivering position.

9. A safety razor having a head including a blade holder, a blade seat and a spring operated blade clamp cooperating with said blade seat, in combination with a magazine having a projecting key at one end for retracting said blade clamp in the head, and a separate projection at the same end of the magazine as the key for positively determining the angular position of the magazine and the razor head when the magazine key is inserted in the head.

JOSEPH MUROS. 

